We started from Ahmedabad on the 13th morning. It was a Sunday and morning seemed not that cold. We started off at 8 in the morning and moved towards the south-western road. The road from Ahmedabad to Sarangpur starts from Sarkhej. Being a state highway, it’s under broadening phase. A number of industrial estates and areas welcome us as we go down the road. Bavla was second. We continued on the road, enjoying the weather, the sun, the people and cattle. The road turns from Bagodara which is a prime axis point of three big cities of the state- Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. The road is narrow but not prone to heavy traffic. We passed through the outer range of Lothal- a place known for Harappan culture and civilization. After few moments, we decided to re-gas the vehicle. Just out of Barvala while moving towards Bhavnagar, we took the right road which is currently under construction. There are few small bridges along the road to Sarangpur which are being renovated to flatten the road surface.
Just moving on the road, we passed through the main Swaminarayan temple which is believed to be one of the main Gadis of the clan. As we moved two kilometers beyond, we came across Kundar, a small village where idols of Sun God and Lord Shani are placed in the opposite directions. Soon after entering the place, we were amazed to find the huge, limestone idol of Lord Hanuman which is about 30-40 feet high. Towards the right lies the Shani temple. After drenching the feet, we went towards the center where “Akhand Jyot” (brought from Signapore Shani temple) continues to light the area. There is a small idol on a hand-made stone covered, hill-shaped structure where under another Akhand Jyot is present. We offered our prayers and started our way towards the Sun God temple. This was the first time I saw the idol of Sun God with wife. There is a traditional Lord Shiva temple adjacent to it. Apart from main Shiv Linga located inside the temple, there are 108 Shiv Lingas constructed outside. The entrance of the temple is covered in rudraksh. The area is further elaborated with man rowing the boat with family, along with idols of Ram, Laxman and Sita. At the rear, we found the huge stone covered in water- the stone which belonged to the part of the bridge (constructed for crossing over to Lanka and blessed by Lord Shiva). There is a sacred Peepal tree often forming a part of religious ceremonies.
